In some respects the eighteenth century slave was better off than the
Negro of today. As a rule no Negro can now get his name into the leading
newspapers unless he commits a heinous crime. At that time, however,
masters in offering slaves for sale and advertising fugitives unconsciously
spoke of their virtues as well as their shortcomings, that the public
might be fully informed as to the character of the blacks. Through these
advertisements, therefore, we can get at the very life of the Negro when
slavery was still of the patriarchal sort and can thus contrast his then
favorable condition with the wretchedness of the institution after it
assumed its economic aspect in the nineteenth century. We observe that the
eighteenth century slave was rapidly taking over modern civilization in
the West Indies and in the thirteen colonies on the American continent.
The blacks were becoming useful and skilled laborers, acquiring modern
languages, learning to read and write, entering a few of the professions,
exercising the rights of citizens, and climbing the social ladder to the
extent of moving on a plane of equality with the poor whites.
To emphasize various facts these advertisements have been grouped under
different headings, but each throws light on more than one phase of the
life of the eighteenth century slave. The compiler will be criticised here
for publishing in full many advertisements which contain repetitions of the
same phraseology. The plan is deemed wise in this case, however, because of
the additional value the complete document must have. The words to which
special attention is directed appear in his own capitals.